Ashes and Wine
by Doctor Addison Montgomery
Summary: Peter/Olivia. Greg is back in Rachel’s life and fighting for sole custody of Ella. But what does this have to do with Olivia and Peter? 3 parter. Reviews are appreciated. :
1. Part 1

**Ashes and Wine**

**S****ummary: Peter/Olivia. Greg is back in Rachel's life and is fighting for sole custody of Ella. But what does this have to do with Olivia and Peter? 2 parter.**

**Reviews are really appreciated. Title comes from one of my favourite A Fine Frenzy songs. If you don't know her, check her out!**

**

* * *

**

One.

It had started as an unusually normal evening, which should have been a warning in itself, with the Dunham sisters and Peter relaxing in Olivia's apartment with take-out and a bottle of wine. Astrid had half-heartedly agree to stay at the lab to watch Walter, letting Peter off his baby-sitting duties for the evening. He was relishing the freedom, too.

Ella was already in bed when Peter arrived had arrived at Olivia's apartment. The younger Bishop was making the most of being in the company of normal adults and the rare opportunity to talk to Olivia about something; anything that federal investigations and the paranormal. Getting the chance to spend time with Olivia's sister was also a bonus. With the general craziness of everyday life in the Fringe division and Olivia's hospital stay, Peter had not had many opportunities to see the other Dunham recently.

This evening he thought he noticed something different about Rachel. When they had first been introduced, he had instantly felt her carefree nature, so very different to that of her sister. Tonight though, despite smiling often and chatting animatedly, Rachel seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. It was only then that he remembered Olivia telling him that her brother-in-law had sought out a divorce lawyer and was attempting to gain sole custody of Ella on the grounds that Rachel was an unfit parent. With all that had happened recently, Peter hadn't thought to ask Olivia how things were progressing and she clearly had not wanted or felt the need to mention it to him. Bringing it up now would seem callous and would ruin what so far had been a lovely evening.

Peter made a mental note to mention the Rachel situation the next time he and Olivia had a moment alone together and busied himself instead with refilling their wine glasses with the deep red merlot. For once he actually felt like an ordinary thirty-something guy who was spending the evening with two friends rather than an assistant to a classified FBI division who saw things on a daily basis that people could not begin to even dream of, and baby sitter to his brilliant but dysfunctional father. Peter and Olivia rarely enjoyed simple evenings like that and he hoped she was appreciating it too.

* * *

They were swapping embarrassing stories from their school days when there was a sudden but loud knocking on Olivia's apartment door, akin to someone using the full force of their fist. Olivia excused herself, taking her gun from the locked drawer in her desk and peering out through the spy-hole.

"Rachel," She hissed, turning back to the living room to find both her sister and Peter on their feet. "It's Greg."

Rachel visibly paled, gripping the arm of the couch, her swaying nothing to do with the two and a half glasses of red wine in her system. Peter went to her side as Olivia went back to the hallway to slide the deadbolt into place.

"I know you're in there. I'll call the cops if you don't let me in." Greg shouted.

He had always had a way of saying stupid things which made Olivia bite even when she shouldn't.

"I _am_ an FBI agent." She fired back without thinking. Even after being out of Rachel's life for so long, Greg could still get under Olivia's skin in an instant. It was so unlike Olivia to react like this but where Greg was concerned her sisterly protectiveness was firing on all cylinders.

"Hello there, Livy." He drawled from the other side of the door, making Olivia's hand instinctively reach for the cool metal of her weapon. John and Charlie were the only people who could have gotten away with using that nickname.

"What do you want Greg?" Olivia's voice was as rigid as her grip on her gun.

"To see my daughter."

Olivia felt a new surge of anger, she refused to let this man anywhere near her niece, regardless of the fact that he was Ella's father.

"She's sleeping."

"Then let me see Rachel."

"She doesn't want to see you, Greg."

"Don't you think that's her decision to make, not yours Liv."

She sighed. "Fine." With a last suspicious glare at the door, she went back to the living room where Rachel and Peter were now sitting on the couch. Under any other circumstances she would have been alarmed at how close their bodies were.

"Greg wants to see you, Rach." Olivia sat down heavily in the empty chair and downed the last of her wine in one bitter swallow.

Rachel looked at Peter, who was looking deadly serious, and back at Olivia and the bulge of her gun at the waistband of her jeans.

"Fine, I'll talk to him. Peter?" He nodded and stood up too, leading Olivia to suspect a conversation had passed between them while she had been talking to Greg. She was experiencing too many emotions for jealousy to even really register, but it was there all the same.

"I'm right here." Peter said in a steely voiced that Olivia had only heard him use once; when they had first met in Baghdad. Despite the odd pangs of envy, Olivia couldn't help but be grateful that Peter was here, she knew Rachel was appreciating his manly presence despite the fact that her sister was the only one who was armed.

Olivia stepped back so that Rachel could unlock the door and let her estranged husband into the apartment. She watched as Peter moved to stand close beside her sister. Olivia enjoyed her own company and after what had happened with John, she certainly wasn't ready for another relationship but as she watched Peter gear up into protective mode, the weight of her loneliness descended upon her. Still, she didn't envy her sister the emotional turmoil she was going through. She didn't want to think about what losing custody of Ella would do to Rachel, although she couldn't help thinking that Greg knew exactly how his soon to be ex-wife would react. Olivia was not generally a violent person but the way Greg manipulated Rachel made her blood boil dangerously. Yes, it was definitely a good thing that Peter was here for the sake of both Dunham sisters and perhaps for Greg's own safety too.

"Who're you?" Were the first words out of Greg's mouth when he was finally admitted into the apartment. The first thing Olivia noticed was the smell of alcohol radiating from him, it was as if he had taken a bath in the stuff.

"Peter Bish..." He began but Rachel cut Peter off before he could finish introducing herself.

"This is Peter, he's my new boyfriend and Ella's step dad. She loves him."

If Peter was surprised by Rachel's lies, he did a brilliant job of hiding it. Olivia had to hand it to him, he was a pro. She was worried though, by lying Rachel could make things more difficult for her if Greg went through with his decision to take his wife to court.

Greg sneered, looking Peter up and down. When he had completed his appraisal of his wife's new lover, he grinned. Olivia felt sick, the triumphant look in her brother-in-law's eyes confirmed her suspicions that he would use this new information to his advantage. Though if he turned up to court smelling like a brewery the way he did tonight she doubted if anyone would consider him a fit parent.

"And what do you do for a living, Pete?" Greg asked.

Peter's piercing blue eyes were icy cold as he stared back at Greg.

"I'm an assistant to the FBI."

"So you work with Livy?"

"Yes, I work with Olivia."

Greg turned his attention to Rachel now. "Don't you think you're getting a bit old to be stealing your sister's men, Rach?"

Rachel automatically stiffened, while Peter exchanged an intrigued look with a surprised Olivia. She hated how well Greg knew her and her sister, and the way she had once trusted him.

When she had recovered herself not to verbally lash out at him, Rachel finally spoke again.

"I think you should leave now, Greg." She said coldly, her hands on her hips. Olivia moved to stand on Rachel's otherwise, her and Peter effectively forming a barrier between the younger Dunham and her estranged husband.

It was hard to tell what would have happened next, the smug look was fading from Greg's face but he wasn't ready to back down either. Things could have taken a turn for the worst had Ella not appeared at that moment, having been awoken by the noise of her father's unwelcome arrival.

"Daddy!" She squealed, running towards him and breaking some of the awkward tension in the room.

Rachel and Olivia watched in silence as Greg scooped Ella up into his arms. To them, and to Peter, Greg may have been the enemy but to Ella he was simply her father.

Despite having very little to do with the situation involving Rachel and Greg, the triumphant look on his face as he held Ella in his arms made Peter want to lash out. He knew if he didn't calm down he wouldn't be responsible for his actions. This would only makes things worse still for the Dunhams.

"Go back to bed now honey, be a good girl for daddy." He pressed a kiss into her golden locks before Ella scampered back to Olivia's spare room.

"Have you signed the papers?" Greg asked, turning to Rachel who, to the surprised of both Olivia and Peter, looked flustered.

"I've been busy Greg, looking forward a kid is hard work."

"But signing some papers isn't." When Rachel faltered her continued. "Unless you're still carrying a torch for me, Rach, what will your new boyfriend think?"

Olivia hoped Greg was stupid enough to interpret the tension in Peter's jaw as jealousy rather than simmering anger.

Feeling once more that this situation could get out of hand at any moment, Olivia adopted a placating, calm voice she used on the most unstable of suspects she interviewed on the job.

"It's late Greg, why don't you come back tomorrow and we can talk things through reasonably."

Olivia's tactic worked, Greg was stunned, not having expected this. He had pictured a chaotic scene with raised voices and tears. He was so taken aback that he didn't know what to say. Peter and Rachel were also surprised at Olivia's handling of the situation but they did a much better job of hiding it than Greg.

Olivia could see Greg desperately trying to work out how to gain control of the situation again.

"Okay," He warily agreed. "But I'm bringing my lawyer."

"That's fine, Greg." Olivia replied, still smiling in an almost friendly manner. She finally convinced him to leave, and once he was gone she leaned back against the apartment door and sighed with relief.

"I'm going to check on Ella." Rachel said, but neither Olivia nor Peter missed the glow of tears in her eyes.

* * *

Olivia and Peter went back to the sitting room but their normal social gathering was ruined, although not by anything supernatural for a change. Olivia was hoping for one of Peter's witty quips but he was quiet; lost in his own thoughts. It fell to Olivia to try to do or say something to lighten the mood a little.

"So, does this mean you're going to be my brother-in-law now?" She teased, but even if she noticed that her intonation was all wrong.

Peter got up and went to the liquor cabinet, looking for the whiskey bottle. Olivia stood up and went to join him, regretting her attempt at lightening the mood.

"Olivia," He said, when she came to stand at his side. "It's not that I don't care for Rachel, I do, but I don't want to pretend to be her to be her boyfriend. If I had to choose a Dunham sister, I'd pick you, Liv."

The whiskey bottle was forgotten as Olivia tried to process this surprise and then the feel of Peter's lips on her own. The scrape of his stubble was rough against her cheek and his hands tangled in her long hair. She had not felt this alive since her last night in the motel with John, and definitely not with her old flame Lucas in Germany.

It was over too soon and neither of them knew how to react. Peter made some excuse about collecting Walter and Olivia said she needed to check on her sister.

A few minutes passed between Peter leaving and Olivia going into the spare bedroom to see Rachel and Ella. She needed time to process the moment; the kiss because she had a feeling it wouldn't be happening again soon.

_The next part will be posted soon. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are loved! Xx_


	2. Part 2

Ashes and Wine

_Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it. As I went off on a bit of a tangent with this story, it's going to be three parts instead of two. Hope you enjoy it, reviews are appreciated! :)_

* * *

Part 2.

When Olivia had composed herself enough to go and check on Rachel and Ella, she found them both curled up and asleep in the same bed. She pulled the covers up over them and kissed each of them on the cheek. Seeing Rachel look so vulnerable in her sleep suddenly made Olivia feel overwhelmed with guilt over what had just happened with Peter. She slipped out of the room and went to her own bedroom to get ready for bed.

Once in her pyjamas and between the covers, sleep just wouldn't come to Olivia. She thought about Greg, the damage it would cause if he did get custody of Ella, and how her working relationship with Peter would be ruined if they let their feelings get in the way.

After John she had vowed never to get romantically involved with a colleague but with Peter it was different. They had been through so much together over the past year that she had come to rely on him completely. Taking the step from co-workers to lovers could be messy. There were too many people involved, Rachel and Ella cared deeply for Peter and then there was Walter to consider. Olivia finally drifted off to sleep, imagining what Walter would say if she and Peter began dating.

* * *

"Did you have a nice evening with Agent Dunham?" Walter asked on the journey back to their new home. Astrid had been relieved when Peter had showed up at the lab to collect his father. She cared for Walter but sometimes he was more than she could handle.

Peter decided it would be better to lie, Walter would only be upset if he knew about the altercation with Greg. He also decided to leave out the part where he had kissed Olivia.

"Yes, thank you." He replied, and Walter was so full of his latest discoveries at the lab that Peter found he needed to say very little on the car ride home.

Walter's enthusiasm was infectious too and distracted Peter from his thoughts for a few moments. But, once they were back home, with Walter alternating between snoring and humming in his sleep, it was hard for Peter to think of anything other than Olivia. His mind replayed the kiss over and over; the feel of his lips against her's; the taste of wine on her tongue and the way her body had moulded to his.

He knew it was foolish to think this way, he'd had too much to drink and there had been too much upset that evening for anyone to be able to think clearly. Still, as sleep finally claimed him, he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

* * *

Rachel, so exhausted after the events of what had started as a really loved evening, had fallen asleep almost as soon as she had curled up beside her daughter. It didn't take long for her to wake up and return to her own bed where she tossed and turned restlessly for what seemed like hours. She wasn't like Olivia, her self sufficient big sister, she needed someone to rely on. As much as she loved her daughter, at her age Ella wasn't really company for Rachel. When she had met Greg she thought she was going to have it all; the husband, the children and the white picket fence. Now, as she lay staring at the ceiling of her sister's spare room, she wondered what had ever made her love Greg in the first place. He wasn't a really man like, well, like Peter.

Of all the things Greg had said this evening, the one comment that had stung the most was the one about stealing her sister's boyfriends. She hadn't known what had come over when she told him that Peter was her new partner. Now she felt guilty, both Olivia and Peter had protested that they were just colleagues, friends at best, but what if she had gotten in the way of something between them without even realising. Everything in her life was a confused mess and, not for the first time, she envied her older since and the way she seemed to be able to handle everything that came her way. Of course, the older Dunham had kept a lot of what she had been through over the past year a secret from Rachel, knowing that it was for the best.

* * *

Rachel was already up and cooking breakfast for the three of them when Olivia came out of the bathroom the following morning. She eyed her sister suspiciously, Rachel was usually the last of them to get up; never the first. The younger Dunham looked worse for wear, having had less sleep than Olivia the previous night. She debated going over to hug Rachel, but worried that a show of sisterly intimacy would break the cheerful facade she was wearing.

"How do you want your eggs, Liv?" Rachel asked, not turning around when she heard Olivia's footsteps.

"Scrambled please." She replied, as if on auto-pilot, trying to decide the best way to handle the situation.

Olivia had barely taken another step forward when Ella bounded into the kitchen, looking refreshed and bright eyed, especially compared to her older relatives. It was only now that Rachel turned her back on the congealing egg mixture to face her daughter, she pulled Ella into her arms and held the little girl tightly to her. Sensing that they needed a moment together, Olivia stepped passed them and took control of the breakfast.

For a moment Olivia thought things were going to be okay, and that perhaps last night had just been a nightmare when she heard Ella ask:

"Is daddy coming over again today?"

* * *

Peter was up long before Walter but found he couldn't stomach the French toast and coffee he had made. He, too, had not slept at all well that night. Usually, unless Walter was singing, snoring or up and about mixing some concoction, Peter fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Last night had been different, in more ways than one. He just had too much to think about and, having managed a few hours of sleep, his head wasn't any clearer now.

Part of him wanted to head straight to Olivia's house and do something; anything. For the first time he was beginning to wish he hadn't given in to his desires and kissed her. The pair of them both had enough on their plates without the complications of their romantic feelings for each other, if they even really had any. There was also the added factor of Rachel having lied to her husband about Peter being her boyfriend, that was going to be a difficult mess to get out of.

Peter took another sip of his now tepid coffee and felt his insides cringe as the caffeine entered his already hyper-sensitive system. He tipped the remainder of his coffee away down the sink and left a note for Walter, which he was sure he would ignore, and headed out to Olivia's apartment, to hell with the consequences.

* * *

When Peter arrived, he found Rachel alone at the apartment. She looked subdued and totally unlike the woman he had come to know quite well over the past few months. He didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that Olivia was not there, taking Ella to the nearby park instead. Rachel said very little, and Peter sensed that if she opened up to him, even a little bit, she would fall apart.

"Would you like some coffee?" She asked, playing the part of the perfect hostess.

Without waiting for a reply, Rachel headed towards the kitchen not prepared for the fact that Peter would follow her.

"Listen Rachel," He began as he watched her potter about the kitchen looking for cream and sugar. "I don't think you should have told Greg that we're...together."

She turned to him, light blonde hair spilling around her face from the speed she had spun towards him.

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I'd do _anything_ to stop Greg from getting custody of Ella; my _daughter."_

"Hey, I know," He said soothingly, taking the sugar bowl out of Rachel's hands and holding her to him. "I just think you need to be honest, if Greg does take you to court it won't go in your favour if you lie."

"I know." Rachel sighed, calmer now as she rested her forehead against Peter's shoulder. "I'm just so scared of losing her. She's my life."

Peter rubbed her back soothingly. "I know, I can see how much you love her but maybe..." He paused, the next part would be difficult to say and he still wasn't sure whether he was glad or not that Olivia wasn't there to hear it. "Maybe it might be for the best if you let Ella spend some time with Greg."

Rachel tore aware from his grasp, her eyes sparkling with anger. "How dare you!"

"Rach, please," He said, taking her hands now and forcing himself to meet her eyes. "What I mean is, if Ella stays with Greg for a little while, you'll have time to get yourself a place to live and a job, and then you can sue Greg for sole custody."

The fire in Rachel's eyes seemed to be dying down as she thought this through but no matter what happened she would not give over her precious daughter without a fight.

"I'm not letting that scumbag take my daughter Peter, no matter what you say. And I think you should leave now, before Olivia and Ella get home."

Holding his hands up in surrender, but still feeling that he had done the right thing someone, Peter left the apartment.

* * *

As he was making his way out of the building, he ran into Olivia and Ella on the way back from park, both flushed from the brisk Boston morning air.

"Hey Peter, what are you doing here?" Olivia asked, while Ella ran to him and hugged his legs. Seeing the happy little girl made Peter feel guilty for what he had suggested to Rachel, but he had only been thinking of their best interests.

"I came to see Rachel." He replied, while Ella ran on ahead to the apartment door and slipped inside.

Olivia looked a little disappointed, wondering if she had imagined the kiss and what he had said to her the previous night.

"She's pretty mad at me," Peter confessed. "But I promise I'm only trying to help, I care about you, all of your Dunhams." He tried to lighten the moment, running his hands down Olivia's forearms. She had little choice but to look him in the eye.

"Peter..." She began, not knowing what she was even going to say.

"You should get back to your sister, she needs you right now." Peter said, when it became clear that Olivia wasn't going to say anymore.

"I know." She paused. "Thank you." She brushed a kiss to his stubbly cheek and disappeared into her apartment before Peter could stop her.


End file.
